It’s not perfect, but for just $46, Sboly’s conical burr coffee grinder gets the job done.
Sboly
If you’ve been following along, you know that I’m on a mission to raise my coffee game — and lower my coffee costs. Everything I’ve learned says you have to grind your own beans, and for that, a burr grinder is the only way to go. But CNET’s top coffee-grinder picks start at $100. Ouch.
Needless to say, I sought a cheaper option — and found a good one: For a limited time, Cheapskate readers can get the Sboly Conical Burr Coffee Grinder for $45.96 after clipping the on-page $10-off coupon and then applying promo code 9ADJ9883 at checkout. The grinder normally sells for $69.95.
Sboly? I’ve been using their little single-serve coffee maker on and off for about a year, and it’s been rock-solid. That said, I have no prior experience with any grinders, so I can’t say (yet) how well this compares with something like the Oxo Brew, which sells for the aforementioned $100.
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Here’s what I can tell you: The Sboly grinder works well for the most part. You slide a lever to set the grind texture (from espresso-ready powder to pour-over coarse), turn a dial to set the amount to grind and push a button. Presto! Ground coffee.
It’s loud, though, as I expect most of these things are. I also noticed that the dial has some “play” in it; turn it to, say, 4 and it can wiggle almost a full half-setting backward or forward. If you’re trying to be ultra-precise about the amount of beans you’re grinding, this makes it challenging.
Another gripe: The bean funnel is shallow, meaning sometimes the last beans don’t drop into the grinder without a little nudge.
But these are hardly deal-breaker issues. The Sboly delivers a consistent grind for less than half the price of Oxo’s option, and that appeals to my cheapskate nature. (That said, I’m totally loving Oxo’s single-serve pour-over gizmo, which feels like a bargain at $16. More on that in the future.)
Your thoughts?
The Oculus Quest 2: As low as $256 at Target
A rare discount on an Oculus Quest 2 preorder.
Scott Stein/CNET
Want to preorder the hot new Oculus Quest 2? If you don’t already have a Target Circle account, now’s the time to sign up: New Target Circle members can preorder the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset (64GB) for $269 (after clipping the special 10%-off offer in the Target Circle dashboard). And if you use a Target Red Card to pay, you’ll save an additional 5% — bringing your total down to $255.64.
I haven’t been able to test this firsthand because I already have a Target Circle account. (It’s free to sign up for one, by the way.) This offer first hit the interwebs yesterday, so it may have expired by now, or may be expiring soon. If you’re able to snag this, please hit the comments and let me know how it all went down.
The Quest 2 is already a killer deal at $299, in my humble opinion. It’s $100 cheaper than its genuinely awesome predecessor, yet it has a higher-resolution display. Read Scott Stein’s Oculus Quest 2 review to learn more.
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